When I was in middle school, I believed that what defined us was our ability to capture the "American dream," how many kids we would have, how big our house was, and how fat our wallet would become. I used to think that to be happy we had to be the lead dancer on Broadway, the Academy Award winner at the Oscars, the multi-platinum album selling artist, or the Hall of Fame athlete. I was trapped into believing that becoming the first female major league baseball player would fill all my needs and make me happy. I believed that the only thing that was fair in life was what happened between the white lines on a field hockey or softball field.
I had a path, and I believed that if I left that path--I would get eaten by some big bad plump wolf in some cottage hidden in the woods.
I lived in a bubble.
.[Insert photo shopped picture of Libby in a bubble].
Clearly, my mindset has changed quite a bit, as I have learned to put my wallet on a diet, live more simply in another country, and take in extremely gratifying moments of silence and aloneness. In fact, I think my "Libby Time" --time spent with self-- has been at an all time high in the past two weeks--but that all time high is about to be surpassed as I take off today for a tour of the north and a detour into Munich...as I take off to SEE the world...as I take off to be surprised by the world.
Today, I venture off to meet new people, to see new things, and to indulge in the many pleasant novelties of the cultures that I have not yet thrown myself into. Someone said to me yesterday, "So now you are a tourist," and I said to them, "No...Now I am a traveler."
And here is the difference.
When you travel: there is no plan. You go. You watch. You see. You smile. You laugh. You talk. You watch. You eat. You sleep. You watch. You dream. You imagine. You take a a hint from little red riding hood and you leave the path--and you discover that there's not always a wolf living at the other side of the forest waiting to eat you... Instead, when you travel: You live.
Beautiful as usual! This is definitely a beautiful post that will stay with me as I embark on my trevails off of the beaten path to 'Grandma's house'.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous post - I am toying with the idea lately of straying off the path and breaking out of my bubble, but it's scary... I have to remind myself there probably isn't a big bad wolf on the other side :) Really enjoyed this one!
ReplyDeleteRJ---Thank you and i wish you the best on your journey to Grandma's house!
ReplyDeleteEmily--THank you so much. Sometimes we just have to take a leap, hope for the best, and then re-route if absolutely necessary. It's all about making life and not letting it make us
Traveling would definitely help me out, it sounds like. I feel like you've mastered the ability to be content with where you're at, who you are, and what you're doing in that moment.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love that I should've learned this lesson a long time ago from Little Red Ridding Hood but didn't. Sometimes the only way to learn something is to have it rehashed to you over and over again. Thanks for the reminder. I really needed it read this today.
Kaleigh--Thanks for dropping by--traveling is definitely something that I have found to be my real way of seeing things and understanding why things work the way they do, and what truly matters. I might suggest a book to you. The Art of Travel--it's quite wonderful. It's by Alain De Botton. And I agree-things need to be rehashed many times to actually understand or pay attention to them a lot.
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